Recipes and Cooking Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese 4.0 (118) 2 Reviews All the fixings of incredible mac and cheese-pasta, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and a creamy-sharp cheese sauce-mingle perfectly with butternut squash. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on October 1, 2012 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Bake Time: 14 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 9 mins Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 12 ounce dried rigatoni 1 ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (3 1/2 cups) 2 ¾ cup milk ¼ cup all-purpose flour 8 ounce smoked Gruyere cheese, shredded (2 cups) 8 slices bacon 2 small sweet onions, cut into chunks 3 ounce sourdough bread 2 tablespoon butter, melted fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley Directions Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter a 3-quart au gratin or baking dish; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine the squash and 2 1/2 cups of the milk over medium-high heat. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir together remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour; stir into squash mixture. Bring to boiling; cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere until melted; keep warm. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Crumble; set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Return skillet to the heat. Add onions to skillet; cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and increase heat to high. Cook 4 to 6 minutes more, stirring, until onions are golden. Add squash-cheese mixture, onions, and bacon to the bowl with the pasta. Toss well to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish. Place bread in a food processor and pulse with two or three on/off turns to form large coarse crumbs (you should have about 2 cups). Transfer to a small bowl; mix with melted butter. Sprinkle remaining Gruyere and the bread crumbs over pasta mixture. Bake until top is browned, about 14 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Andy Lyons Tips To make ahead and freeze, omit preheating and prepare through Step 6 before putting in the oven to bake. Cover the prepared au gratin dish with foil. Freeze up to 1 month.To serve, thaw in the refrigerator 24 hours (casserole will still be icy). Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, covered, about 1 hour or until edges are bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 686 Calories 29g Fat 77g Carbs 30g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 686 % Daily Value * Total Fat 29g 37% Saturated Fat 15g 75% Cholesterol 79mg 26% Sodium 668mg 29% Total Carbohydrate 77g 28% Total Sugars 13g Protein 30g Vitamin C 24.8mg 124% Calcium 605.8mg 47% Iron 3.8mg 21% Potassium 831mg 18% Folate, total 221.8mcg Vitamin B-12 1.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0.5mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.